Category: Store Events

  • Jessica Hagy presents Indexed at Quimby’s!

    Jessica Hagy is a different kind of thinker. She has an astonishing talent for visualizing relationships, capturing in pictures what is difficult for most of us to express in words.

    At indexed.blogspot.com, she posts charts, graphs, and Venn diagrams drawn on index cards that reveal in a simple and intuitive way the large and small truths of modern life.

    Praised throughout the blogosphere as “brilliant,” “incredibly creative,” and “comic genius,” Jessica turns her incisive, deadpan sense of humor on everything from office politics to relationships to religion. With new material along with some of Jessica’s greatest hits, Indexed is an utterly unique book will thrill readers who demand humor that makes them both laugh and think.

    About the Author
    Jessica Hagy is a freelance copywriter. She has won a Silver Clio, Creative Best Award from the Columbus Society for Communication Arts, and more than a dozen ADDY awards for her writing. Her blog, Indexed, was named a 2007 Webby Awards Honoree and was a recent addition to the BBC Magazine online.

    Jessica will read and present some of her Venn diagrams and possibly do some drawing live. She will also sign copies of her book.

    Check out: http://indexed.blogspot.com/

  • THE2NDHAND Release Event

    The 2ndHand Release Event with Jill Summers, Lauren Pretnar, Ling Ma and Chris Bower at Quimby’s!

    We at THE2NDHAND are celebrating the release of our 27th print broadsheet with readings by Jill Summers, Lauren Pretnar, Ling Ma and Chris Bower. All Hosted by the inimitable C.T. Ballentine

    Jill Summers‘ audio fiction has been featured by Chicago Public Radio, the Third Coast International Audio Festival and New Adventures in Sound Art. She lives and writes in Chicago.

    Chris Bower is a playwright and fiction writer who contributes to THE2NDHAND.

    Ling Ma is the Reads Editor of Venus Zine. She divides her time between New York and Chicago, both cities in which she roams the streets, still goes to the cinema, and otherwise leads a sedentary lifestyle of freelance assignments and writing fiction.

    Lauren Pretnar holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the city in which she lives and writes. In addition to various reviews and other published work, certain of her plays have seen stage time at the Pac/Edge fest and at Prop Thtr.

  • Cristin O’Keefe reads Words in Your Face at Quimby’s!

    Join us for a book signing and reading for WORDS IN YOUR FACE: A GUIDED TOUR THROUGH TWENTY YEARS OF THE NEW YORK CITY POETRY SLAM by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz.

    The first definitive history of one of the 21st century’s most explosive art movements, Words In Your Face explores the birth, growing pains and continuing development of the Poetry Slam. Spoken word icons such as Saul Williams, Maggie Estep, Bob Holman and John S. Hall join scores of other poets, organizers, filmmakers, scholars and critics in bringing the story of the New York City Poetry Slam movement to life.

    Author Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz tells the story of slam’s origins in the roofless, unheated Nuyorican Poets Cafe and then traces the explosive growth of slam as the media pick up on the trend–MTV’s Unplugged begins to feature slam poets; PBS runs the mini-series The United States of Poetry, produced by then-Nuyorican impresario, Bob Holman; Lollapalooza adds a spoken word tent; and Holman also launches a spoken word label with Mercury Records.

    Aptowicz shows how, rather than depend on the fickle media for continued support, Slam instead deepens and broadens organically, avoiding the flash-in-the-pan flame-out of, say, the grunge scene. The author also establishes a relationship between the poetry slam world and the academic poetry world, encouraging interaction between academia and slammers, especially the poets of color, the youth slammers and the burgeoning hip hop poetry scene. She also shows how the scene has created the only non-academic way to make a living as a poet, as many poets are able to quit the day job through the opportunities created from touring, publishing, performing, audio downloads and matures to where it is a key component of educational initiatives and political campaigns.

    CRISTIN O’KEEFE APTOWICZ is the author of four books of poetry–Dear Future Boyfriend, Hot Teen Slut, Working Class Represent and Oh, Terrible Youth–and is the founder the three-time National Poetry Slam Championship venue, NYC-Urbana. Aptowicz has enjoyed commissioned residencies with Chamber Dance in NYC and the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and has toured with her work throughout North America and Australia. She lives in New York City. www.aptowicz.com

    Also slated to perform:
    SHAPPY SEASHOLTZ is a slam poet, comedian, nerd, playwright, actor, bartender and — most importantly of all — former employee of Quimby’s. He is a National Poetry Slam champion, has appeared on the third season of HBO’s “Def Poetry” and is the author of six books of poetry, including the Firecracker Award-winning, Little Book of Ass. www.uncleshappy.com

  • Barry Joe Lorberbaum reads at Quimby’s!

    Frozen Bread On A Warm Afternoon is a collection of poetry, short stories and art by local author Barry Joe Lorberbaum.

    Barry Joe Lorberbaum is self published & rarely read for many reasons all of them valid. He will read from and sign copies of his new book.

  • Chris Connelly live at Quimby’s!

    Friday, February 22nd, 7:00 PM — Free!

    About Concrete, Bulletproof, Invisible and Fried: My Life as a Revolting Cock:

    When hardcore industrial rocker and Ministry supremo Al Jourgensen recruited Chris Connelly as a singer for The Revolting Cocks, the young Scottish lad could hardly have imagined the mayhem that was to ensue.

    As an integral part of Jourgensen’s Mad Max-like mutant family of musicians, Connelly joined a drug-crazed traveling circus. Live shows were transformed into an ear-splitting redneck disco from hell, under the influence of a mind-boggling cocktail of every conceivable narcotic, with sleazy strippers and even reports of live cattle on stage.

    As well as Jourgensen and all the Wax Trax crew, the book features cameo appearances by Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Killing Joke, Jah Wobble, and Cabaret Voltaire. Despite the unrelenting chaos, both Ministry and the Revolting Cocks have been immensely successful; Connelly appeared on two US gold albums (The Land of Rape and Honey and The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste) and worked as songwriter on Ministry’s million-plus selling platinum album Psalm 69. Connelly’s superbly written, funny, irreverent and sometimes downright scary memoir is one of the finest portrayals of a man trapped in the eye of a post-punk industrial storm this side of Armageddon. Chris Connelly will be on hand to read from and sign copies of his book.

    About Chris Connelly:
    While his contributions to Ministry, the Revolting Cocks, and Pigface have earned him a reputation as a ferocious industrial rocker, singer/songwriter Chris Connelly’s solo career has explored softer music that’s more in line with Nick Cave, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and the later work of Scott Walker. Born and raised in Edinbourough, Scotland, and currently living in Chicago; Connelly has had a long and sustained musical career as a solo artist.

  • Elizabeth Crane reads from You Must Be This Happy to Enter at Quimby’s!

    THE FIRST STOP ON A NATIONAL TOUR!

    Join Elizabeth Crane for her hometown launch event, as she reads from her new book You Must Be This Happy to Enter.

    Denial, god, dystopia, academia, and reality TV collide in acclaimed author Crane’s third story collection, and the latest installment from Akashic’s Punk Planet Books imprint.

    “Crane has a distinctive and eccentric voice that is consistent and riveting.”
    –New York Times Book Review

    “Crane is funny, even when her subject is pain . . . There’s an energy and immediacy to [her] stories that make them feel as if they could have been delivered in one beautiful, raw rant over a bottle of wine. A night reading them is well spent.”
    –Entertainment Weekly

    Whether breathlessly enthusiastic serenely calm, or really concentrating on their personal zombie issues, Crane’s happy cast explore the complexities behind personal satisfaction. You Must Be This Happy to Enter exists in a world very much like our own but infused with more joy and magic. It’s a place where the happy are jailed, the sincere cause confusion, and pop culture so seamlessly melds with real life that characters can walk right out of the television and come live with you.

    Crane’s third collection, aims to convey something fresh in literature: utter sincerity. With a trademark mix of hyperreality, humor, and heartfelt emotion, You Must Be This Happy to Enter asks readers to connect with the loopy ways of her characters. Because even though they’re occasionally severed from reality, they still seem to know something you don’t about keeping upbeat in a strange and crumbling environment.

    ELIZABETH CRANE is the author of two previous story collections, When the Messenger Is Hot and All This Heavenly Glory. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including the Chicago Reader and The Believer, as well as several anthologies, including McSweeney’s Future Dictionary of America and The Best Underground Fiction. A winner of the Chicago Public Library’s 21st Century Award, Crane teaches creative writing at Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies, the School of the Art Institute, and the University of Chicago. She lives in Chicago.

  • Neal Pollack reads Alternadad at Quimby’s!

    Neal Pollack reads Alternadad at Quimby’s!

    Thursday, February 21th, 7:00 PM
    FREE

    A few years ago, Neal Pollack was probably the least likely father you’ve ever met: a pop-culture-obsessed writer and self-styled party guy known mostly for outrageous literary antics. In typical fashion, he responded to the birth of his son by forming a mediocre rock band and taking it on tour. Now, in Alternadad, he tells the hilarious and poignant story of how he learned to be a father to his son, Elijah, after the failure of his short-lived rock ’n’ roll dreams.

    Pollack and his wife, Regina, were determined to raise their son without growing up too much themselves. They welcomed the responsibility but were worried that they’d become uptight and out of touch. Through the ups and downs of the first years of their son’s life their determination is put to the test, and they find themselves changing in ways they never expected, particularly after Elijah develops a biting problem in preschool.

    Alternadad is a refreshingly honest book about the wonders, terrors, and idiocies of parenting today. From enrolling his son in an absurd corporate gymnastics class to a disastrous visit to a rock festival to uncomfortable encounters with other parents whom he’d ordinarily avoid, Pollack candidly explores the everyday struggles and the long-term compromises that come with parenthood.

    Mixing ironic skepticism with an appreciation for the absurdities of everyday life, Alternadad is a portrait of a new version of the American family: responsible if unorthodox parents raising kids who know the difference between the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. Wildly funny, surprising, and often moving, it just might be the parenting bible for a new generation of mothers and fathers.

    Neal Pollack will give a lively talk, read a little form the book, take questions, and then sign copies of the books if anyone so desires.

    About the Author

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    Neal Pollack is the author of several acclaimed books of satirical fiction, including The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature and the novel Never Mind the Pollacks. A contributor to many magazines, newspapers, and Web sites, he also keeps a semidaily blog at www.nealpollack.com. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.

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  • Aaron Christensen reads from Horror 101 at Quimby’s!

    Aaron Christensen reads from Horror 101 at Quimby’s!

    Monday, February 18th, 7:00 PM
    FREE

    “Bringing a refreshingly egalitarian approach to the subject, Horror 101 collects musings on our favorite chillers not by the expected assortment of critics and filmmakers, but the audience – the fans themselves. Young and old, male and female, located all over the globe.  From Alien through The Wicker Man, each entry brings a breath of fresh air to the consideration of seminal movies many of us thought had been analyzed to death. As editor Aaron Christensen puts it, “Keep America strong! Watch more monster movies!”

    — Joe Dante, director, The Howling, Pirahna, Gremlins

    Join the editor of Horror 101 Vol 1, Aaron Christensen as he talks about how the book came to be, the recruiting of the various contributors and the selection of the films that make up Horror 101.  Aaron will lead a discussion about the evolution of the horror genre, and why the films listed in Horror 101 are significant in that evolution. He will cover where the horror genre has been, where it currently stands now, and where it’s heading in the next 5-10 years. Along with answering any questions Aaron will be on hand to sign copies of the book too.

    Aaron is a professional, Chicago-based actor who has been a horror fan throughout his life.  In addition to having seen over 1,500 creature features, gorefests and fright flicks, his literary work has appeared in Fangoria, Rue Morgue and Midnight Marquee, as well as online at Kitleys Krypt and the Horror 101 with Dr. AC website.

    More info at the Horror 101 website: http://www.horror101withdrac.com

  • Jessica Mills reads at Quimby’s!

    Jessica Mills reads My Mother Wears Combat Boots at Quimby’s!

    Saturday, February 16th, 7:00 PM
    FREE


    Jessica Mills is a touring musician, artist, activist, writer, teacher, and mother of two. Disappointed by run-of-the-mill parenting books that didn’t speak to her experience, she set out to write a book tackling the issues faced by a new generation of moms and dads. The result is a parenting guide like no other. Written with humor, extensive research, and much trial and error, My Mother Wears Combat Boots delivers sound advice for parents of all stripes. Amid stories of bringing kids (and grandparents) to women’s rights demonstrations, taking baby on tour with her band, and organizing cooperative childcare, Jessica gives detailed nuts-and-bolts information about weaning, cloth vs. disposable diapers, the psychological effects of co-sleeping, and even how to get free infant gear. This book provides a clever, hip, and entertaining mix of advice, anecdotes, political analysis, and factual sidebars that will help parents as they navigate the first years of their child’s life.

    Jessica Mills writes a punk-parenting column for Maximum Rock N Roll, plays saxophone for Citizen Fish, was Director of a birth center in Hollywood, Florida, makes jewelry in her metalworking studio, is mom to seven-year-old Emma-Joy and one-year-old Maya-Rae, and organizes childcare cooperatives. She lives with her partner and daughters in Albuquerque, NM.

    She will read from her new book, as well as field any questions from fellow parents out in the audience.

    Visit her blog

  • Dan Kennedy reads Rock On at Quimby’s!

    Dan Kennedy reads Rock On at Quimby’s!

    Friday, February 15th, 7:00 PM
    FREE


    McSweeney’s contributor Dan Kennedy will read from his book, Rock On: An Office Power Ballad — an absurd, funny, and outrageous take on his stint as Creative Marketing Director at Atlantic Records.

    How do you land a sweet six-figure marketing gig at the hallowed record label known for launching acts like Led Zeppelin and Stone Temple Pilots? Wait, before you answer, we’ll also throw in a plush office, a hip assistant, an expense account, and free Starbucks coffee. For all of this you have to have a rock-and-roll resume like Dan Kennedy’s.

    *Dressed up as a member of Kiss every Halloween
    *Memorized Led Zeppelin IV by the age of ten
    *Fronted a lip-synch band in junior high
    *Played drums in an almost all-girl band
    *Was employed as a college DJ as a college drop-out
    *Worked at a record store

    So when he’s hired by a major label Dan Kennedy thinks he has landed a pass to the secret kingdom of rock and roll. The problem is, he’s basically walked into an episode of The Office. Whether he’s creating an ad campaign celebrating 25 years of love songs by Phil Collins or trying to grasp the rationale behind cross-promoting a ladies’ razor with Jewel’s new single about not selling out, Kennedy’s in way over his head. And from the looks of those sitting around the boardroom, he’s not alone.

    Cameos by aging pop stars, dinosaur music-biz kingpins, hip-hop thugs, Iggy Pop, and others amp up a hilarious power ballad to rock and roll, office life, and all the working stiffs who’ve done their damndest to hide from human resources when the ax falls.

    A regular contributor to McSweeney’s and host of the popular Moth StorySLAM in New York, DAN KENNEDY is the author of the widely acclaimed Loser Goes First. His work has appeared in GQ; Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney’s Humor Category; Mountain Man Dance Moves: The McSweeney’s Book of Lists; and other publications.

    “Dan Kennedy’s book is a delightful and delirious evocation of the love/hate relationship virtually my whole generation (and several before and after, come to think of it) have had with the music industry basically our whole lives. The difference is that the rest of us may have dreamed it, but Kennedy actually lived it out, in the ugliest trenches of the never-ending battle between commerce and rock and roll, and lived to tell the tale. The results aren’t pretty, but luckily for him, and us, they are hilarious.”
    – Todd Hanson, Headwriter of the The Onion